This invention relates to structural deck assemblies. It pertains in particular to forming planks for use in chord components of a truss-supported deck having a long span.
Troutner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,491 discloses a composite truss-supported deck wherein the deck panels are used as the chords of the truss. Troutner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,230 discloses a continuous press for pressing glue coated consolidatable press charges, in particular glue coated wood veneers, into massive laminated planks measuring, for example, 80 feet long, 2 feet wide and nearly 2 inches thick.
These massive planks are joined end to end by means of splice plates forming chord components which in turn are joined side by side by means of side connectors creating integral, truss-supported, clear span, domed decks of great length, and of the general class set forth in Troutner U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,491 aforesaid, for use in spanning wide building structures such as stadia and the like.
In constructing decks of this type the planks must be predrilled for ease of mounting the planks to the tie elements and to the side connectors when the planks are assembled into a composite deck assembly. Furthermore, in order to allow onsite assembly of the decks the holes thus drilled must be located in the planks with precision accuracy and the planks must be cut accurately to the proper length. Precision accuracy is particularly important when the decks have the tremendous width and span necessary for covering structures such as stadia, where a large number of the planks are utilized in each dimension. Thus any small drilling error in each plank becomes cumulative creating a larger error in the assembly. Heretofore, means have not been available for drilling the planks with sufficient accuracy to allow fabrication of decks of this magnitude.
Accordingly, it is the principal purpose of the present invention to provide a method of forming planks with precision accuracy for use in chord components of an integral, truss-supported, clear span deck of great length, for example, an error of 1/32-inch in a span of over 400 feet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for forming such planks.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus having means wherein the planks may be indexed accurately therein.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which allows the planks to be formed quickly and easily without the necessity of using highly skilled labor.